Apr 1, 2008 - The Namibian/All Africa Global Media

A multi-million-dollar Victoria Falls-Katima Mulilo power line was commissioned on Friday by President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his Zambian counterpart, Levy Mwanawasa.

Zambian power utility Zesco and Nampower constructed the 220 kilovolt line from Victoria Falls to the Zambezi power station at Katima Mulilo.

The Katima Power station cost NamPower N$96 million while on the Zambian side Zesco pumped US$17 million into the project.

Speaking at the occasion, President Pohamba noted that the Victoria Falls/Katima Mulilo transmission line would further unlock the potential of increased trade and commerce between the two countries.

Moreover, he said, it would become a vital route through which the two countries could import and export power.

At the practical level, Pohamba said the project would address the power interruptions experienced by residents of Katima Mulilo in the past.

With the installation of additional equipment at the Sesheke Power Station in Zambia, voltage stability has been improved.

He took the opportunity to thank the government of Zambia for the economic and bilateral ties of co-operation between the two countries.

"This project was carried out in the spirit of good neighbourliness and mutual understanding," he said, assuring that this spirit of mutual respect and understating would continue to shape future interactions as they pursued the implementation of joint economic development projects aimed at the mutual benefit of the two countries.

He then assured the Zambian government of his government's commitment to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries as well as to the development of SADC region and the African continent.

On his part, Mwanawasa said the project should be seen in the context of other infrastructural projects that the two countries had embarked on.

These include the Trans-Caprivi Highway and the Zambezi bridge, which enhanced transport links between the two countries.

"This is a very practical way of enhancing the development of our two countries," he said, adding that Zambia believes that this project will add value to the existing relations and greatly benefit the people of the two countries.

He commended the electricity utility companies for the hard work put into the project, which is a practical realisation of the objectives of regional co-operation and integration.

He urged the two utility companies to continue working closely on other projects, which will bring development and progress to the people in the two countries, as well as the entire southern African region.

The commissioning of the power supply project between Zesco and NamPower will enable Zambia to supply 220 kilovolts of power to Namibia.

The project involved building a 231-km line from Victoria Falls power station in Zambia to Katima Mulilo.

The joint commissioning of the Victoria Falls/Katima Mulilo Transmission Line was undertaken as part of the recently signed Zimbabwe-Zambia-Botswana-Namibia (ZIZABONA) agreement.

Under the agreement, the Zimbabwean power grid will be linked to those of Botswana, Zambia and Namibia via the Hwange power station.

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